Pakistan: PML-Q to move court against PTI's dissidents ahead of Punjab CM poll

Lahore [Pakistan], April 11 (ANI): The ouster of the Imran Khan-led government in Pakistan has made the task of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) to mobilise the requisite number for the Punjab Chief Minister's election tougher.
The PML-Q has now decided to file a petition against the PTI dissidents in the Lahore High Court on Monday with the plea that they shouldn't violate the instructions of their party under Article 63A(1) of the Constitution, Dawn reported.
The PML-Q is gearing up for the April 16 Chief Minister's election in the Punjab Assembly.
The PML-Q, an ally of PTI, through its petition, is seeking a restraining order against the PTI's dissident MPAs to stop them from voting in the upcoming Punjab provincial election, arguing that allowing them to vote will violate the party instructions under Article 63A(1) of the Constitution, Dawn reported.
"The restraint order can help reduce the joint opposition numbers in the Punjab Assembly for the April 16 election," a PML-Q leader was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.
On the other hand, the PML-N believes that the clauses which PML-Q mentioned in the petition wouldn't apply to the dissidents as they would not vote against a candidate from their own party.
Pervaiz Elahi, candidate for Punjab Chief Minister's post from the PML-Q and backed by the PTI, received a phone call on Monday from the party chairman Imran Khan and discussed the political situation and other issues, Dawn reported.
Parvez Elahi's spokesman Fayaz ul Hassan Chohan on Sunday said that the PML-N's claim of having the support of 200 MPAs in the Punjab Assembly was a white lie. "Parvez Elahi has 189 MPAs on his side," said Chohan.
Meanwhile, the PML-N on Wednesday held a session at a private hotel and elected Hamza Shahbaz as Pakistan's Punjab province's new Chief Ministerial candidate.
Members from the PML-N, PPP, PTI's Jahangir Khan Tareen and Abdul Aleem Khan groups attended the session that was held at a local hotel in the provincial capital, reported Geo News.
In order to be elected as a Chief Minister in the 371-member Punjab house, a candidate will need at least 186 votes, according to the media outlet.
These developments came after Punjab province Governor, Chaudhry Muhamad Sarwar, accepted the resignation of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on April 1.
Following the acceptance of the resignation, the Punjab Cabinet was dissolved, reported Geo TV on April 8. (ANI)